Greater Malugram residents battered by drug menace

April 27, 2018

3 Min Read

Special Correspondent
Silchar, April 26: Open consumption of liquor, mostly illicit, and drug seems to spread its dragnet around the town of Silchar, posing serious threat to peace and tranquility of civil life. A memorandum submitted by the residents of greater Malugram covering wards 1 and 2 within the jurisdiction of municipal board to the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar on Wednesday, is a reminder to the earlier representation. The problem as narrated by the citizens including a good number of women led by the ward commissioner Amlan Mandal reflects on the menace of drug addiction in particular along with illicit liquor.
The residents are worried about the growing tendency among the youth to take to intoxication and drug addiction which cannot but cast a gloom on social harmony and the future of the present generation. Most importantly, if such illicit activities are allowed to get more elbow, it is bound to create major law and order problem for the areas in question. Quite strange, the police out post that stands between the two wards prefers to let things go on. This has forced the residents to meet the Deputy Commissioner with the written representation.
It has been mentioned that Malugram has been the oldest settlement of this town, rich socially and culturally, for decades. With the coming of the British Raj in 1832, Malugram has been a humming and buzzing area with most dignified settlement. But, for the last 15 years, this oldest settlement has been affected by free movement of drug and liquor peddlers and it has emerged as a safe zone for the antisocial elements. The trade of drug seems to have got legal sanction. The stretch from Gandhighat, earlier known as Madhuraghat, leading to river Barak is now most disturbed.
Under the spate of drug and liquor has come Ghaniala ferryghat. Quite stunning, women, students, young men and people at large have fallen a prey to this illegal trade. Not a day passes without some or the other unpleasant incident, a matter of grave concern for the peaceful inhabitants. What has come as a shock and dismay is that youngsters of tender age are becoming the worst sufferers. For years, not only the residents but also the socio-cultural organizations and women outfits have tried their best to stem the rot, but could achieve not so significant outcome.
Though these bodies are making their desperate bids to keep the illegal trade under check, the decadence continues. It is the conviction of sensible people in general that without active support from civil and police administration, nothing concrete will emerge. It is against this backdrop that the representation to the Deputy Commissioner has been repeated within two weeks of the submission of the first memorandum with the hope that effective measures would be initiated to break the backbone of the drug and liquor peddlers active along the pockets mentioned in the representation.